So here we are in the throws of winter clinging to the dream of Spring. Valentine’s Day close behind us. Easter way ahead of us.

Are the years getting shorter with a blur of Holidays? Or am I getting older? ahem, please refrain from answering that last question.

My Christmas cards lays unsent. Maybe St. Patrick’s cards for me then?

Happy President’s Day!

Love,

Jess

A sparkly new sign, made it into my Christmas decor. (Hand painted by my fellow Shabby Mama, Andrea.)

The felt “board” was laid out with our Velcro Nativity set.

My sil, Carly, gave all the sils a meaningful Christmas ornament. It means a lot to me, as I don’t have any biological sisters.

Did I mention, cookies already? We ate a lot of frosting too.

Feliz Navidad,

Jessy

Love,

Jessy

The day started like any other day. Little did I know about the challenges that lay ahead.

A blur of breakfast dishes, playing, arguing, and Holiday crafts, led quickly into afternoon.

A dinner guest was to be expected in a few hours. I busied myself laying out Christmas towels in the bathroom and picking up my boy from school.

Somehow, the sun had set, and dinner was still in a pile of ingredients resembling groceries – not a meal. The lit outdoor Christmas lights were blaring at me as if to say, “Why didn’t you do a crock pot meal? Dinner is right around the corner!”

Molly decided to “help” me cook by emptying an entire sack of flour on my living room rug.

The babies managed to empty out Ryan’s desk drawers while I was cleaning the rug.

Ryan and Molly fought over something, in-which, the nativity scene fell over.

Okay. At this point, I’m yelling, “Everyone quiet! Stop it! What are you doing! Go to your room!”

Then, on my knees, patting the ground around my room and the hallway, I shout to the other room, “WHERE is baby JESUS?” I shouted it with a harsh tone. The kind of tone that curls your lips as you said it.

The moment was not lost on me. Where was baby Jesus? The small plastic mold of baby Jesus, I was so longing to find, was under my hamper. I gave myself a wry smile, shook my head and shed a tear. I had spent more time looking for a plastic mold version of Jesus than worshiping Him this season.

Vowing to refocus my energy, I set the nativity and vacuumed the flour.

Peter brought home Chinese take-out and our guest was gracious.

We said a prayer over our meal. We laughed over knock-knock jokes, fortune cookie predictions and noodle covered babies.

The day came to an end much as it has begun…pajamas and dishes. But, a little something had changed in my heart.

Love,

Jess

Our gingerbread village was a little too tempting for our little Molly!

Love,
Jess

I packed away the tree and cleaned the house. I feels good to get a fresh start on the new year without the beautiful *clutter* of Christmas.

Before I say goodbye to this season’s Christmas, I thought I’d post about a few of my favorite things…

My favorite gift: Shadow Box Frame for my Christmas Tree

My parents had my vintage costume jewelry tree professionally matte and framed. I collected pendants, earrings and bracelets to craft this unique and festive piece of wall art.  I created the tree (a couple years back) to mimic a similar piece that my Grandma Mary hung in her home during the Holidays.

My favorite craft: Christmas Countdown on a Stick

The 2 X 4 Advent Calendar. I took photos of this project as I went along, so, I may post a tutorial in November next year…right now I am pretty sure nobody can think about Christmas projects anymore. I did use scrap wood, Mod Podge, scrapbook paper, recycled Christmas greeting cards and an old advent calendar to put this all together.

Favorite After Christmas Sale Item: Glitter Decoupage Tree

Okay, I don’t have much to say about this ornament other than I bought it from Target for mere pennies! Why do I love to brag about a good deal so much? It just brings me so much joy I guess. It is such a pretty little thing.

Hope you all had some favorites this year too!

Love,

Jess

Got Milk Cards?

Each year I reuse family photos from the cards that were so warmly given to us during the Christmas season.

During the rest of the year I collect freebie magnets where ever I go to make photo magnets.

State Fair, Dental Office, Pizza Place, you get the idea…

Glue the text side of the magnet to the back of the photo card. (To line it up, just hold the card and magnet up to a light source).

Use a scissor to cut around the magnet. For larger photos, cut out entire image,  glue two magnets on the back (toward the top and bottom).

Now, our friends and family will be on our minds all year long!

Love,

Jess

P.S. Here is another sneak peek for my advent calendar. Save your old greeting cards too!

Happy Holidaze…

Are you in sugar shock just like I am? I am scrapping the bottom of the Peppermint ice cream carton as we speak. There is always January at the Y, right?

My Christmas was delightfully busy yet calm-ish. I hope yours was too!

Baking, giving, reading, visiting and threatening (to take new toys away for crabby behavior -I love this time of the year).

I am pretty strict, unless we are talking about extra cookies after supper, then I cave.

I have been  brain storming some After-Christmas Christmas crafts using Holiday leftovers…no, not ham and potatoes.

Love,

Jess

P.S. Here is a sneak peek

Save your old Advent calendars!!!

Love,

Jess

My front yard waiting for 12 inches of snow

Jesus is the reason for the season, even in the midst of an oncoming blizzard of snow (and wrapping paper).

Let me warn you, if you start to wrap gifts with paper bags, ribbon and jingle bells and you have some sort of brown-paper-packages-holiday-sickness (like I do), you’ll wrap and wrap until you have to dump out your recycling bag to get more paper. Like I did…er, I mean was tempted to do. Oh, who am I kidding, I did dump it out…What? It was just a Coke can!

Merry Christmas!

Love,

Jess